MATTEO’S POV
“You said you had it under control!!” Gianna roared at me, her eyes flashing angrily. She paced the balcony of the hotel she stayed anxiously, picking nervously at her nails. I recognized that act, the entire look on her face, it was the look of a losing battle. Dante was slipping through her fingers and she wasn’t having it.
“I didn’t know he was down bad like that, I mean he should have folded the moment he set his eyes on you. I know it’s a bitter pill to swallow right now but maybe Dante doesn’t love you anymore or or just maybe he never did”
Gianna’s neck shot to me with so much speed that I was scared it’ll break. I was seated at the patio with her, flicking a cigarette on the ash tray and nursing a half filled glass of hard liquor. It annoyed me that I had to cater to Gianna’s heart break and I was barely dealing with mine. I could never get the look of Helena’s face when she crumbled at the car dealer shop it haunted me, ached at my chest, causing a deep yearning for her, to cater for her and be the shoulder she ran to but that wasn’t possible when Dante was still alive and breathing.
“That’s not true” Gianna shot at me, she grabbed the glass from my hand and took a hearty sip before shoving it back in my hands “He has always loved me, it has always been me, he just needs to realize it again”
“I’m afraid it might be too late darling they’re married now” I said
“They’ve been married before, it doesn’t mean anything” she said back, then plopping on the patio chairs opposite me, her look was wistful, her piercing eyes sharp and blaring. She was beautiful no doubt, Gianna had the haunting type of beauty, the type that was difficult to ignore but it was so different from Helena’s. Helena’s beauty was more peaceful, more soothing, like a warm bath in the winter.
“So what are you going to do now?”
“Me?” I gave her an odd look, then circling it with a low chuckle that emanated deep from my throat. “I’m not the one in love with Dante now, am I?”
“But you fancy her, don’t you? I saw it in the way you looked at her, the last time I saw you look at someone like that was that peachy girl in Los Angeles the one with the red highlights and had a snorty laugh. What was her name again? Adrianna?”
I knew what Gianna was doing, she was picking at me, looking for a loophole to dive in. I leaned back on my seat and studied her curiously, her eyes stayed fixed on mine but I was more pissed off that I wasn’t getting as drunk as I wanted to be.
“What exactly do you want from me Gianna?” I kept my gaze fixed on her and she did the same as she picked out a cigarette lying carelessly on the table and she lit it up.
“I want you to get rid of her, is that so much to ask?”
“I’m not going to kill her if that’s what you’re asking, in fact I’m not going to do anything, I don’t think I care that much about you to do anything of that sort. In fact, I think you should pack up and go back to acting your little block buster movies”
“Goddammit Matteo” she flared, standing up abruptly and began pacing again “I’m not asking you to kill her, what kind of monster do you think I am? I just want Dante, whatever you do with her is none of my business and maybe for once you could actually get serious in settling down, don’t you think?”
“I have no interest in taking a wife, if that’s what you mean”
“Fucking hell Matteo! Do you want me to go on my knees and grovel for you, is that what you want?”
I smirked at her, taking my drink to my lips “Let’s start with that”
She scoffed “Fucking hell”
But I stayed silent, watching her desperation seep through the cracks she tried so hard to conceal. She stared out the balcony, flicking her cigarette outside and her blonde hair blowing in the wind with a slight tremble to her fingers. I watched her, slightly amused but deep down in my chest I knew that whatever Gianna wanted, I was going to do it regardless and not because I liked Helena and I wanted her for myself but I was deeply bored and Gianna being back was all the excitement I craved.
“Aren’t you curious in the slightest about what I know about you, or no what I know about you and Dante and the deadly secret that tie you both together” she turned around to look at me. Her eyes fixing deep on mine, the manipulative stare enthralling me still and drawing me deep in waters that I didn’t want to thread. Those were the only words she needed to get me to do her bidding, she knew it, she knew that I knew it and she wasn’t scared to use, it was impressive really but I was going to draw her out a bit.
“What if I don’t care?”
“Trust me, you should. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted” she said to me and I chuckled again. I downed my glass in one go and still slightly annoyed that the buzz was slowly creeping in, my eyes were still wide and clear, my words still coherent and my vision was still very stable, if not I would pushing her over but I sat still, studying Gianna through the hood of my eyes.
“I’ve never wanted anything, because I have everything”
“But not everything, what you truly deserve it’s not yours and Dante knows it and he’s never going to tell you because he still wants to control you”
I leaned back, pouring myself another glass. She got me, she got me right where she needed me to be. I wasn’t entirely interested in her secret but I hated the fact Dante could be hiding something from me, that alone fueled my desire to do Gianna’s bidding.
I looked at her, taking another sip and she held my gaze “What exactly do you want Gianna?”
Then she smiled, taking her seat opposite with legs crossed and lighting another cigarette. Her eyes were dim now, and I knew she was tipsy, nearly drunk if she took another gulp.
“One night” she started “I want one night with Dante, so get him away from that wench”